By Moonlight
by Sis21K
Summary: SEQUEL TO BY CANDLELIGHT. It was carefully planned. Jack recruited his best friends to help him make the most magical proposal to Katherine by moonlight.
1. Chapter 1

**Sequel to By Candlelight.** **I know there are a lot of proposal stories out there, but I wanted to give it a shot. After this chapter, everything will be a flashback but told in real time.**

**Thanks to K. Kelly for the suggestion.**

**Standard disclaimers apply. My OC is Bella, Jack and Katherine's little daughter.**

* * *

_"Daddy, where you going?"_

_"Out for dinner, Bella. Crutchie's gonna come watch you, okay?"_

_"Can I come?"_

_"No, sorry honey. Tonight is just for me and Mama."_

_"Why?"_

_Jack sat down on the couch and adjusted his tie. "Because it's our anniversary."_

_"What's that?"_

_"It means that this is the day Mama and I got married."_

_"Why?"_

_Jack laughed. "You ask too many questions, Bella."_

_"No."_

_"Yes." Jack pulled his young daughter into his lap and planted a kiss on her nose. She giggled._

_"Tell me a story before you go!" Bella pleaded._

_Before he could answer, Katherine came out of the bedroom. She had just done something to her hair—Jack wasn't sure exactly what, but it sure looked nice. Even better than usual._

_"You look beautiful, Ace," he breathed._

_Katherine rolled her eyes and busied herself straightening up the living room. "Oh, please. It's not something to fuss over."_

_"You were in there for an hour fixing your hair," Jack smirked._

_"No, I wasn't! I was choosing my dress and doing my makeup too."_

_"Since when did you become so concerned for how you looked?" Jack asked._

_Katherine ignored him._

_Bella took the pause in conversation to beg, "Tell me a story, Daddy!"_

_"Just not another Santa Fe one, _please_," Katherine muttered. "She'll keep Crutchie up all night."_

_Jack smiled at his daughter. "All right. I'll tell you the story of—"_

_"Tell me the story of how you and Mommy got married!" Bella interrupted._

_Katherine raised an eyebrow at Jack, who shrugged. "I told her it was our anniversary."_

_"It's not much of a story, Bella," Katherine said, smirking. "He asked me, and a few months later we got married."_

_"How did Daddy ask you?" Bella inquired._

_Katherine snorted and shook her head. "Have Daddy tell you. I'm sure he'll make it into more of an adventure than it really was."_

_"_Please_. You loved it. You were sobbing," Jack reminded her. Katherine blushed. "And it _was_ an adventure," he added to Bella._

* * *

**Next chapter will be up later tonight! And don't worry, it will be longer than this!**

**-Sis21K**

**(PS Don't forget to review!)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Oops, I ended up having to study last night, so I was unable to get this up until now! I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!**

* * *

Jack was unusually quiet. His friends noticed that right off. They were at Jacobi's, he had invited them, but now he was sitting thoughtfully at a table while they ordered drinks.

"Okay, what's going on, Jack?" Crutchie asked finally. "You invite me and Davey here and you'se acting all strange. So spit it out!"

"No kidding. I don't think you've ever been so quiet," Davey agreed, pounding him on the back. "What's the problem?"

"Well, I…" Jack was at a loss for words. "I guess it's about…well…Katherine."

Crutchie groaned, but Davey slammed his hand on the table and stared at Jack. "Are you finally going to marry her?"

Jack's jaw dropped. "How did you—"

"It's pretty obvious. You've been acting weird for weeks. You invited just me and Crutchie here—honestly, Jack, I'm surprised you're not getting more people involved—"

"I am, I am, don't worry!" Jack assured him. "I want it to be perfect, and I know the boys would never forgive me if I didn't let them help. I just needed a couple of brains, first off…to organize it, you know?"

"So you chose us?" Crutchie asked, looking touched.

"Well, of course I chose you! Who else?"

"You got a lot of other boys to choose from."

"And they's all gonna help," Jack repeated. "I just needed someone I could really count on. Davey's got the brains, you've got the guts, and me…" He rubbed his head. "I'm just throwing a shot in the dark right now."

"Well, don't worry. We'll make it perfect," Davey assured him. "So what were you thinking? For the proposal, I mean? A romantic date at Jacobi's? A walk in the park?"

"Actually, I want to do it on the rooftop of the old Lodging House," Jack said, seeming hesitant. "It's where we had our first kiss, and it's so close to the sky. I want to propose by moonlight."

Davey slowly nodded. "Okay. So we somehow clear out all the younger newsboys—get Katherine to come to the rooftop with you…"

"He needs a ring," Crutchie said.

Jack sighed. "I don't have that much money to get a ring."

"We'll find a way. Oh, you also have to ask her father, before any of this—"

"You mean, Pulitzer?!" Jack said loudly. A few nearby people glared at him. "How am I supposed to do that? _Hey, boss, I know you kind of don't like me hanging out with you'se daughter, but…can I marry her?_"

"And we'll have to find a way that the boys can watch without being noticed—"

"Um, I don't know if—"

"You'll definately want to plan out the whole thing, getting her there and the story—"

"What does that mean?"

"—and probably plan the speech—"

"Who said anything about a speech?"

"He still needs the ring!" Crutchie added.

"Whoa, slow down. I didn't expect it to be this complicated."

Davey shrugged. "You've gotta work for it if you want it to be perfect."

Jack closed his eyes. "I don't want to write a speech."

"I didn't say anything about _writing_ a speech. I said you have to _plan_ the speech," Davey smirked. "Just figure out what you're going to say, you know, when you get down on one knee."

"You're good at speeches, Jack!" Crutchie said encouragingly.

Jack groaned. "I dunno if I'll be so good at the whole _knee_ thing, though."

"But before any of this happens, you have to ask Pulitzer," Davey said seriously, "So let's talk about how to ask your boss if you can marry his daughter."

And that's how Jack ended up outside Pulitzer's office in a suit and tie, knees shaking, hoping Davey knew what he was doing.

"Yes?" Pulitzer's secretary Hannah asked in her obnoxious high-pitched voice, looking down her nose at Jack. She held the door to Pulitzer's office slightly ajar but didn't come out.

"I, uh, would like to see Mr. Pulitzer," he stuttered.

She squinted at him, obviously remembering who he was. "Now the question is, would Mr. Pulitzer like to see you," she muttered, shutting the door in his face while she went to make this inquiry.

After a moment she returned and reluctantly let him in. "He says to make it quick. He's a working man, you know."

Jack didn't respond. He had been in this office before, under much more terrifying circumstances, but somehow he was more nervous now. The office hadn't changed much in two years. Pulitzer sat at his desk, his beard perhaps a little whiter, and didn't glance up as Jack approached.

"Uh…hello, Mr. Pulitzer."

"Jack Kelly," Pulitzer acknowledged, spitting out the syllables. "The man who quite nearly made a fool of me years ago and who insists on being with my only daughter at all hours of the day."

"I'm pleased to hear you call me a _man_ now, sir," Jack said, trying hard to keep any sarcasm out of his voice. "As I last recall, I was a boy to you."

"Perhaps still a boy at heart, though, Jack Kelly. Playing with my daughter's emotions like that. Regrettable."

"Actually, it was Katherine I came to talk to you about, Mr. Pulitzer," Jack said, still struggling to keep his frustration under control.

Pulitzer finally looked up and gave Jack a long, hard stare. "Is it, now?" he asked suspiciously.

Jack forced himself to keep eye contact. "Well, yeah. You see…me and Katherine have been getting real close lately. We've been together for about two years now…"

Pulitzer rose from his seat and leaned across the desk. "Two years that have changed Katherine. Changed her a great deal, Jack Kelly."

Jack took a breath, steadying himself. "Change for the better, I hope?" he asked tentatively.

Pulitzer slammed his hand on the desk and took his seat again. After a moment, he picked up a pen and continued writing whatever he had been before. "What exactly do you want to talk to me about Katherine, Jack Kelly?" he asked quietly, dangerously.

Jack was suddenly frozen. This whole thing seemed ridiculous. There was no way Pulitzer was going to agree to him marrying Katherine. He hated Jack, hated that his only daughter was hanging out with a boy off the streets, hated everything about their relationship…

…and yet he allowed it to go on. Jack had to ask him. Otherwise he would never be able to marry Katherine.

"Mr. Pulitzer," he said, more loudly than necessary (causing Hannah to peek in for a moment and then quickly close the door), "I would like to—" Jack faltered. He'd said it over and over again with Davey, why couldn't he say it now?

"What was that, Jack Kelly?"

Jack took a deep breath. "_IwouldliketoaskyourpermissiontomarryKatherine_."

Pulitzer stood up, fire in his eyes. "What did you say?"

Jack swallowed. He hadn't expected to have to say it twice. "I would like to ask your permission to marry Katherine," he said quickly.

Pulitzer stared at him, mulling this over in his mind. "Well—I must say, I should have seen it coming—"

Jack bit his tongue. If he said anything, he could mess the whole thing up.

"I suppose…but Jack. We must come to an agreement."

"A compromise?" Jack asked, unable to stop himself.

Pulitzer rolled his eyes. "Yes. Jack Kelly, do you love my daughter?"

"Yes," Jack breathed, "With all my heart."

"Do you believe she loves you?"

"Well—yes. So she's told me."

"She told you she loves you?"

"Yeah."

Pulitzer stroked his beard. "I hope you aren't just marrying her for the money she makes."

"No sir. I make enough now to support myself and her."

"Yes…yes…so tell me, Jack, why do you want to marry my daughter?"

Jack hesitated. "Because I love her, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

Pulitzer sighed. There was a pause. Then he came around the desk and reached for Jack's hand. "Yes, Jack Kelly. You have my permission to marry Katherine."

Jack grinned hugely. "Thank you, Mr. Pulitzer!" he exclaimed happily—and then, without thinking, he spat into his hand and thrust it towards Pulitzer's.

Pulitzer pulled back. "I see you still haven't lost that disgusting habit."

Jack's grin faltered. Had he ruined it?

But Pulitzer, smirking a little, spat into his own hand, and they shook, looking into each other's eyes.

As Jack was leaving, the big smile back on his face, Pulitzer stopped him for a moment. "Jack Kelly?"

"Yeah?"

"I believe you just proved yourself a man, for asking me. I was half afraid you were going to just run off to New Mexico with Katherine."

Jack turned around. "Well, I couldn't take her away from a father who loves her, now could I?"

And before he could reply, Jack closed the door, leaving Pulitzer sputtering.

"Well?" Crutchie asked, hurrying over. He and Davey were waiting anxiously outside.

"I did it!" Jack announced.

"And?" Davey asked.

"He said yes!" Jack was suddenly enveloped in a hug from Crutchie.

"Great! This is great!" Davey said excitedly. "Now we can work on the next step, getting a ring."

"And getting the boys involved," Crutchie added. For a moment Jack was confused as Crutchie turned with a big grin to a nearby alley. "Hey, boys! It's on!"

Jack was speechless as a group of his old buddies appeared, ran over, and ambushed them, yelling excitedly. He was too shocked and happy to hear anything they were shouting at him. As the boys fell into one big group hug with Jack in the center, Jack got a glimpse of Pulitzer, watching him with a small smile from out his window.

When Jack looked again, Pulitzer was gone.

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**Thanks for all the reviews! Each one is appreciated!**

**-Sis21K**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you you all so much for the reviews and follows and favorites and EVERYTHING.**

**Standard disclaimers apply.**

"Okay guys, listen up!" Jack shouted.

They were back at Jacobi's, and Jack was trying to get them settled down enough to explain what he wanted them to do. Davey was frantically scribbling notes—Jack had no idea why, or what he could possibly be writing down.

"Listen up!" he bellowed once again, and the guys finally gave him their attention. "You've gotta concentrate so we can do this right! I want everything to be perfect." Jack looked at Davey. "Um. Where do we start?"

"Start with the plan."

Jack took a breath and nodded. "Right. The plan. So here's how it goes down."

"Do you have a ring yet?" Crutchie asked.

Jack gave him an exasperated look. "No. We haven't gotten there yet. Just listen, okay?"

"Sorry! I just thought it might be slightly important!"

"Of course it's important! But that comes later, remember?"

"Fine, fine," Crutchie said, looking amused. "Continue."

"Okay. So. This is all gonna happen this Saturday. We have three days. That will give us enough time to get something good together, am I right?" They all nodded. "Yeah. So three days. Let's talk about what's gonna happen on Saturday."

"Yeah, let's hear the plan!" Romeo called out excitedly.

"The plan goes like this. Saturday night, one of you will knock on her door, drop off a note, and run before she sees you."

"What will the note say?" Race interrupted.

"I'm getting there. It'll say something like 'Hey, Ace, come downstairs. We need you'. Or something. Davey will help with all the notes."

"All the notes? There's more of them?" Race asked in disbelief.

Jack growled at him. "Yes. Now shut up and listen. So she comes downstairs. Crutchie is waiting for her outside."

"Why does Crutchie already get a part?" Albert inquired.

"Because it's the only part he can do. The rest of them all involve running or climbing." Crutchie rolled his eyes and started to object, but Jack cut him off. "You'll see. So Crutchie's waiting, and Katherine will be all worried. That's another thing. He's probably the best one to calm her down, see? Okay. Then he takes her down to the circulation counter…"

In a few minutes, with many interruptions and outbursts, Jack managed to explain the plan he, Davey, and Crutchie had come up with for the proposal. It involved places all around the neighborhood and each newsie would have a role. Once they realized this, it was every man for himself as they tried to claim the parts they wanted.

"I wanna be the runner!"

"Can I write the message on the—"

"I'm a faster runner than you!"

"No you ain't!"

"I want to be the one waiting by the docks!"

"Can't I take her to—"

"I can drop the papes—"

"QUIET!" Davey bellowed. "Let's take this one at a time. Les, you're in charge of getting the little newsies out for the night."

Les started to protest. "That's not—"

"You think they'll listen to any of us? Now, you think you'll need some help with that or…?"

"But I want to see the proposal!" Les exclaimed stubbornly.

"Wait, Romeo, you hang out there sometimes still, right?" Romeo nodded. "All right, you're with Les. Oh, and Henry too. I think that's it. You guys are the ones who know them the best." Davey wrote something down. "All right. Les, just let me finish. Next we need a couple runners, to let everyone know when she's coming to their spot. Mush…Race…that should be good. This is all very strategic."

"English, please, Davey!" Jack moaned.

"It means we're planning it out right. So next, we need people to get their hands on some old papes and tear them up. Well, I guess we can all help with that part, but we need some people to drop them. Yeah. How about you three? Good. Les, what do you want?"

"I still want to see Jack propose," Les complained. Jack reddened slightly.

"I'm getting to that! Just let me finish…all in good time…"

When every aspect of the plan had been covered and jobs had been handed out to everyone, Davey sat back. "So when Katherine steps into the Lodging House, Mush and Race will give everyone the cue. We'll have some guys to pass the message down to Les and everyone waiting with the little newsies. Then, everyone's gonna pile up the ladders on either side of the Lodging House, up to the roof, and hide behind some boxes or something. But you all have to be quiet! A proposal is a very private thing! Katherine can't know you're watching until after the fact, okay? Does everybody get that?"

They nodded seriously.

"Speaking of the actual proposal…." Crutchie grinned. "We still don't have a ring."

"That's the next thing." Jack closed his eyes, looking slightly nervous. "I have no right to ask you guys, because I know you don't got a lot of extra money…but…you know…"

"Are you asking us to chip in to help you buy her a pretty ring?" Race asked bluntly.

Jack bit his lip. "Only if you guys want to. You don't have to. I've got enough to afford a good…an okay one. I mean, Katherine won't care if—"

But suddenly Jack was cut off by the jingling of coins against the table. Without a word, each newsie had reached into their pockets and begun to pile money on the table. They slid it down towards Jack, who was looking taken aback at their huge generosity. Davey smirked at him. "I told you they would help," he muttered, sweeping all the coins off the table into a bag as the newsies continued to dig for any extra money they had.

Once the last penny had fallen into Davey's purse, Jack stood up. "Thanks a lot, guys. I mean it." He stretched. "Now, remember your jobs. We'll have a practice round on Friday night, okay? Now…" He grinned at Crutchie. "I think me and Crutch are gonna go find us a ring."

Jack didn't know the first thing about rings. He and Crutchie went hesitantly into a jewelry store that was still open. He felt extremely uncomfortable, feeling as if his very presence was making the shining necklaces and jewels dirty. The shopkeeper seemed unfazed by their presence, however, though he didn't offer any help.

Jack and Crutchie moved slowly along the displays, glancing at each other every few seconds to grin. It seemed so unreal. They were in a jewelry store—looking for a ring—for Katherine—for Jack's proposal. A proposal! Jack had never dreamed such a moment would stand out forever in his mind.

Finally they reached the section of rings. Davey had counted and double-counted the money Jack had before handing the bag over to Jack with a smile and a pat on the back. Jack kept repeating the amount over and over again in his head. He certainly couldn't afford the most expensive ones, but he wouldn't have to settle for a cheap ring either. Crutchie shifted to across the aisle to examine the sparkling rings there.

There were rings of all shapes and sizes and colors. Some were silver, some were gold, some were inlaid with jewels or shining stones. Jack didn't know where to begin, let alone how to decide.

But the ring decided for him.

It caught his eye right away. It was a simple ring; silver, with a single sparkling diamond in the middle. (Well, it looked like a diamond. It probably wasn't a real diamond though, Jack figured later, because otherwise it would have cost much more.) Jack checked the price, and his heart skipped a beat.

It was the exact amount that he had in his money bag.

"Hey Crutchie," he murmured, and felt his friend brush beside him. Jack suddenly grinned. "I think I found it."

**So I've been kind of alternating updates between this and Question Time. I realized that they will probably be done around the same time. But then I started thinking...what am I going to write next? I mean, what do you guys want? One shots? (Sad ones like The Baby? Happy or cute ones?) Or longer, multichapter ones, like Stubborn? More OC's? Less OC's? Should I just do my standard "girl newsie" story? (Come on, those are the best.) What is wanted? If you have a chance to think about it, just let me know in a review, at least! But honestly, if you all just give me some vague idea of where to go next, I'll run with it. Okay, this has gone on much too long already. Don't forget, reviews brighten my day!**

**-Sis**


	4. Chapter 4

**Well, this ended up being a longer chapter. Enjoy!**

Katherine's fingers danced across the keys of the typewriter, her brow furrowed in frustration. She'd been working for hours; she only knew this because it was almost completely dark now and she had to squint to make out the tiny black letters stamped on the page. A key stuck. She growled and ripped the half-written sheet out of the typewriter. It hadn't been turning out the way she wanted anyway.

Katherine fell back in her chair and ran a hand through her hair. She let her mind wander for a moment, away from the stupid article about the mayor she was trying to write. A sharp knock at the door interrupted her thoughts and made her jump. She smiled faintly as she rose to answer. The knock was too frantic to be Jack's, who had a standard, loud, two-thump knock. However, it wasn't like her father's or any of her female friends' knocks, so she knew it was one of the newsies.

She tried to fix her hair as she went to the door, knowing that whoever it was wouldn't notice or care that it hadn't been washed in…well, she didn't even want to think about that. Katherine opened the door, expecting to see the bright face of one of Jack's closest friends.

But there was no one there.

"Hmm." Katherine stuck her head out and looked up and down the apartment hallway. Some of the immature kids who lived on the lower floors were probably just pranking people again. She shook her head and started to go back inside, but something on the floor caught her eye.

It was a piece of paper. She picked it up and squinted, unable to make out the cramped handwriting in such poor light. She took it back inside her apartment and switched on a lamp.

_Dear Katherine,_

_Please come downstairs. We have something for you._

It was not signed, but Katherine recognized Davey's handwriting. She snorted. They were up to something again, and wanted her approval before continuing whatever crazy antics they had started this time. Oh, well. That article wasn't due for a week anyway. Katherine debated whether to put on a nicer dress or not, but she figured they wouldn't need her for more than a few minutes. They didn't care how good she looked anyway.

She locked her apartment and started down the hallway, wondering why whoever it was couldn't have just waited at the door and told Katherine what was happening in person. In fact, it was all quite strange. Usually when the newsies came to show her something, she could hear them coming a mile off. Tonight, all was silent.

She cautiously looked out the door into the darkened street. There seemed to be nobody there. Ugh, they could be so immature sometimes. Had they seriously just tricked her into coming downstairs for no reason?

"You guys? Anybody there?" she called out.

"Oh, hey Katherine," Crutchie replied, coming out of the shadows and limping over to her.

"Hi, Crutchie. What's going on?" Katherine asked.

Crutchie just smiled. "You'll see. Let's go." He started limping away and motioned for her to follow.

She caught up with him. "Wait, what? Where are we going?"

"Come on, you'll see when we get there."

"Crutchie, wait!" Katherine stopped and crossed her arms, refusing to go any further. Crutchie faced her and raised his eyebrows expectantly. "What's going on? Where's Jack? Is something wrong?" Katherine was getting worried.

"Nothing's wrong!" Crutchie said soothingly, stepping back towards her. "We just gotta be somewhere soon, let's go!"

"Be where? Crutchie, what is this?"

Crutchie hesitated, then sighed. "It's…a surprise. For you. I…I wasn't really supposed to tell you. Will you come with me now?"

Katherine took a hesitant step. "What kind of surprise?"

Crutchie smiled and winked. "If I told you, it wouldn't be much of a surprise, now would it? Now, let's go."

Katherine fell into step beside him, and Crutchie began to lead her towards the circulation desk a few streets down.

* * *

"They're two blocks away!" Race announced, breathing heavily, having just run the long way from Katherine's apartment to the circulation desk. Specs climbed out of the gate and grinned at him. Race returned the grin. "Wow, Crutchie's a natural! He's acting all hesitant, pretending there's a big surprise and that he just let her in on the secret..."

"Well it's mostly true, ain't it? Okay, I'm ready. Go over there—I've gotta climb back up." Race ducked into the shadows just as Katherine and Crutchie came around the corner.

"So why are we here?" Katherine asked.

Crutchie shrugged. "Just wait."

As he spoke, Katherine's eyes were drawn to a flickering prick of light by the board on which the headlines were written each day. She slowly stepped closer. She couldn't make out who was lighting a row of candles beneath the headline board.

"Crutchie? What's going on?" Crutchie didn't answer. "Who is that?" Crutchie just smiled. Katherine couldn't take her eyes off the row of now-lit flickering candles.

Specs jumped down and joined Race in the shadows, unnoticed by Katherine, whose eyes were still glued to the board.

"Crutchie, what does it say?"

But Katherine could read it now. It was another short message, like the note she had found outside her door. Someone else had written it, and lit the candles beneath it, though the words were visible by the streetlights.

_Come to Medda's theatre. We are waiting for you._

Katherine turned to Crutchie, her eyes sparkling. She seemed confused. "Crutchie…"

He took her arm. "Let's go."

* * *

They reached Medda's theatre within a few minutes. Race had beat them there, and panting, told Albert that everything was in order. Then Race hurried around to the back entrance, where Mush stood waiting. The two runners exchanged a nod, and Mush sneaked back around the theatre so he had a better view of Crutchie and Katherine, who were fast approaching. "Go take your next post," Mush whispered, and Race dashed off to a strategic location where he could see both the old shack where Les, Henry, and Romeo had taken the younger newsies for the night, and the Lodging House.

Katherine entered the theatre ahead of Crutchie and looked around the dark place apprehensively. She was more confused than ever. Was this some kind of birthday present? Her birthday had been a month ago; they'd thrown her a party then. A strange scavenger hunt? But what did they want her to find? She couldn't think.

Katherine saw another flickering candle light, bobbing along the stairs like someone was carrying it. Crutchie gave her a little nudge, and she followed. Whoever held the candle was always some ten steps above her. By the time she reached the balcony, she was panting a little. She had left Crutchie, who would have taken a bit longer to get up steps due to his limp, but he would be waiting at the bottom for her.

The person with the candle stopped. Katherine sighed with relief and hurried forward to see who it was, but with a soft puff of air, the candle was blown out and Katherine couldn't see her hand in front of her face. For a moment, she froze and panic raced through her body. Then, with a loud click, the lights turned on. Katherine leaned over the balcony to check on Crutchie and found that he was up beside the stage. He had been the one to flip the lever and switch on the lights. He was grinning at her, and Katherine took a deep breath. This was weird. She still didn't know what was going on. Katherine looked around…maybe whatever they wanted her to find was around here…somewhere…

There. She saw a piece of paper on one of the seats. Katherine approached and picked it up, stifling a soft gasp. It was a beautiful portrait of herself, so much like the one Jack had drawn her around the time they'd first met, up in this same balcony—in fact, in this same seat! Katherine turned the drawing over carefully, and saw Jack's writing.

_Love at first sight's for suckers. At least it used to be._

_Come to the docks, Ace! Still loving you, Jack._

Finally, a note that was signed. Katherine started to gently roll up the drawing, but Crutchie called to her, his voice strangely quiet in the large theatre. "Katherine, we gotta hurry. Don't worry, someone will grab the drawing for you and take it back to your place."

"How did you—" but she had no time for questions. Katherine hurried down the stairs and out into the night air again.

* * *

The moonlight danced off her hair, its glow reaching past the streetlights.

Jack watched her auburn head bobbling along, far below him. His heart was thumping. It was nearly time. Katherine only had one more stop to make…

* * *

When they reached the docks, Crutchie had a gentle grasp on Katherine's arm and was tugging her along. Finch was waiting right outside the harbor, away from anybody who could catch him. Katherine could only see him at a distance and didn't recognize him. Besides, her thoughts were in a whirl anyway.

Katherine was frozen inside. She was starting to understand what was happening, that this was a huge deal, that this was going to end with—but she couldn't bear to think about it. Her father couldn't have—no. It was something smaller. She couldn't get her hopes up. Even though she'd been dreaming about Jack asking her for weeks…months…

But it was impossible.

Katherine couldn't think straight.

Finch came right up to the pair. "Hey, Kath. I got something for you." He handed her a piece of wood—from a pile near the docks—and scurried away. Crutchie prompted her to look at it with a gentle nudge. Katherine shook her head to clear it and stared down at what looked like scratches in the wood.

They were words.

_Katherine. Come to the Lodging House._

And there was a lopsided heart carved at the bottom.

Katherine's heart was pounding. She glanced at Crutchie, who gave her a reassuring nod. Together, they set off at a quick pace towards the Newsboy Lodging House.

* * *

"They're coming!" Race yelled into a dark doorway. Immediately Les, Henry, and Romeo shot out. The four of them sprinted down the street, not speaking a word. Race threw out an arm to stop them when they were just across the street from the Lodging House. He put a finger to his lips, and they stayed in the shadows, watching as Crutchie and Katherine approached the Lodging House.

Mush was waiting with Finch, Albert, and Specs just around the corner. He saw movement in the shadows across the street and knew that four of their brothers were watching the same scene play out before them.

* * *

Crutchie stopped to let Katherine go forward alone. As she was about to pass through the doorway, a shower of shredded newspaper fell from above. Unbeknownst to Katherine, Jojo, Buttons, and Sniper, grinned triumphantly at each other and hurried to hide behind the huge piles of boxes on the rooftop. Buttons gave Jack a thumbs up before disappearing. Jack couldn't bring himself to peer over the side of the roof. He knew that at this moment, Katherine would be picking up one of the scraps…

…reading the bold letters across the tiny print…

_I love you._

And on the back side of every single scrap, including the one Katherine held in her trembling hands:

_Please come up._

Katherine could feel the tears begin to stream down her face. She didn't care what was about to happen, all she knew was that Jack loved her and wanted to tell her something. They all cared about her enough to plan out this big scavenger hunt that led right to Jack. And he loved her. She knew this, but it was in a different way now. She took a deep breath and went through the door.

* * *

"Go!" Crutchie said softly, but all the newsies that were waiting in the shadows could hear him clearly in the deserted street. They sprinted over as fast as they could, and as quietly as they could, scaling the ladder up to the rooftop within a matter of seconds.

* * *

Katherine, trying to wipe her tears away, started up the stairs. She was only a few steps up, though, when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She turned around and saw Davey, his eyes shining in excitement.

Katherine's mind was frozen. She doubted she would remember any of this later, but she asked, "What's going on, Davey?" Was she hyperventilating? Was she going to faint?

Davey just smiled. "Katherine, I just want you to know that Jack loves you. He loves you so much."

Katherine's eyes overflowed with tears again. What was happening?

"Go on," Davey whispered, and Katherine hoisted up her skirts and ran up the stairs.

Her vision was blurry from tears when she stepped out onto the moonlit rooftop.

Jack was waiting for her.

And Katherine now knew exactly what was happening. And she dissolved in sobs.

**Ooh! And now we all know what is coming!**

**Thank you, as always, for the reviews! And for your input on what I should write next! Thanks to you guys, I've got some new ideas rolling around in my head.**

**Keep reading, because of course next will be the big dramatic scene! *dramatic music* **

**And please review:)**

**-Sis**


	5. Chapter 5

**First off, I want to apologize for taking so long to finish this up! I know it was only a few days, but...still. My excuse: I've been extremely busy with speech meets all weekend and I wanted to be able to do this justice!**

**I really hope you like it!**

Jack slowly stepped forward, taking in the beauty of Katherine's messy hair and casual dress. This was the big moment. Katherine's eyes were sparkling with tears; she probably suspected what was going on already. Jack knew that the newsies were watching from behind the boxes piled on either end of the rooftop, but he made himself stop thinking about them and concentrate on Katherine. If he managed to pull this off, Katherine would be his by the end of the night. Maybe within minutes.

Davey had wanted him to actually outline what he was going to say to Katherine beforehand, but Jack had flatly refused. He knew that his mind would come up with the right thing, when it was time. And it was time.

Jack held out his arms but Katherine didn't return the gesture. They stood less than a foot apart, not touching, just staring into each other's eyes. It came into Jack's mind again that it was time to speak. So he spoke.

"Katherine. You are beautiful."

Katherine emitted a sob and threw herself into Jack's arms. "Oh, don't say that, Jack, you know I look awful right now…I didn't change, didn't fix my hair…I had no idea—"

"I wouldn't have wanted you to," Jack said firmly. "I like you when you look like this, just regular."

Katherine sniffed. Jack pulled back and looked into her eyes. "Okay, Katherine?"

"Yeah."

"Good. You know, when I met you, I was still a boy. I didn't even know what it meant to be in love. I knew you was beautiful, and I liked your spunk, so I started teasing you. Everything that was going on then…the strike and all…well, it seemed like a good time for 'now or never.' We rushed into love. And I was scared. I was scared I was doing the wrong thing. And I thought there was no way it would work out."

"But it did," Katherine murmured.

"Oh, of course it did. We got through the strike, we kissed and made up, we kept seeing each other more and more. And I started realizing that I didn't just like you because you were beautiful…and smart…"

"Shut up, Jack Kelly."

Jack smirked. "But also, because you were the most amazing woman I'd ever met. A woman who was willing to step away from the light of her father's glory just to help out a couple of poor boys. A woman who was so independent, so clever, so…sweet. A woman who was willing to love a dirt-poor guy who started off by playing with her feelings." Jack paused, listening to Katherine's now-steady breath. "I'm sorry if I ever offended you, Katherine. I mean it with all my heart. I hope you know how much I care about you. I just want what's best for you…and so does your father. I'm serious. You are an incredible woman, and I'm so lucky that you came into my life."

"I…" Katherine started to speak, but faded away, not wanting to interrupt.

"I don't think I could ever find another woman that I love as much as you. And Kath…I love you. I love you with all my heart. No one could ever replace you. Ace, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want 'you and me' to become 'us'. I love you so much, Katherine. And that's why I just wanted to ask you…" Jack pulled away completely now. Katherine stumbled back a step, looking stunned, as Jack reached smoothly into his pocket and pulled out the tiny box.

Jack got down on one knee, and Katherine's hands flew to her mouth. Fresh sobs racked her body. "Oh, goodness!" she whispered shakily. "Oh, my goodness…" Jack opened up the box. The ring sparkled in the moonlight.

"Katherine…" Jack said softly, "…will you marry me?"

Jack couldn't hear her answer, but he saw her lips move, and her head nodding up and down frantically, tears streaming down her face. The excited shouts of the newsies drowned out the single 'yes'. Katherine didn't look surprised as the boys, unable to contain their excitement, came running out and enveloped the couple in a huge group hug. Jack was on his feet, his arms wrapped around Katherine, and she held him so tight. There were other arms holding them as well, and Jack was so glad all of his brothers had agreed to help with this magical night. Jack's shirt was soaked with Katherine's tears, but he held her for a long, long time.

* * *

_"__And then what?" Bella asked in an excited whisper._

_Jack glanced at Katherine. A single tear traced its way down her cheek at the memory. Jack grinned. "Well, then we kissed…" _For twenty minutes. Little girl doesn't need to know that_. "…and then, a couple weeks later, we got married," Jack finished. __Katherine smirked, knowing what he'd left out._

_"__Tell me about getting married!" Bella pleaded._

_Jack shook his head. "No, honey. Mama and I have to go on our special date, now. That's another story for another time."_

* * *

_Soon Jack and Katherine were alone, strolling down the street to dinner. Crutchie was watching Bella…all was well._

_"__That was some story," Katherine said, nudging him._

_"__Well, it was a good story. I bet you didn't know how I planned it all out."_

_"__Hah. _You_. Sounds like Davey did most of the work."_

_Jack elbowed her in the ribs. "You underestimating my incentive to plan out a nice proposal?"_

_"__Big words are cute," Katherine said. "They make you sound cerebral."_

_Jack thought for a moment, then laughed and slung an arm around her shoulders. "Okay, smart reporter. What does that mean?"_

_"__I guess you'll never know," Katherine teased, tapping his nose._

_Jack grabbed her finger and held it to his lips, and suddenly they were kissing. The lights and sounds of the city disappeared, and Jack felt the same euphoria he'd experienced on that night years ago. Amidst the shouts of his brothers, the moonlight had shone down on Katherine, who agreed to marry him with one word, just three letters: yes._

**Thanks for all the reviews and support, and I hope the proposal lived up to your expectations!**

**Review, as always!**

**-Sis21K**


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